


The One to Walk You Home

by DeliriousOrange



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Adam has it real bad for the detective, Angst, But is so deep in denial he's in denial about his denial, Comfort, Drunk characters, Drunk!Detective, F/M, Fluff, Longing, Minor Mention Of Character Death, Mutual Pining, Spoilers for book 2, mentions of drinking, protective!adam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeliriousOrange/pseuds/DeliriousOrange
Summary: After the Detective drunk dials Adam, he takes it upon himself to make sure she makes it home safely. Because it's his job. Definitely no other reason.
Relationships: Female Detective/Adam du Mortain
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93





	The One to Walk You Home

**Author's Note:**

> Some spoilers about one of the endings of book 2, so read with caution. Also several mentions of alcohol and drunk characters.  
> This got way longer than I expected oops. That's what happens when you end up shoving ten different tropes into the same fanfic i guess.  
> Takes place roughly a few months after book 2, no specific time line. Detective is my MC Rachel Marsden.  
> Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

When Adam’s phone rang at 11:27 PM and it was the Detective’s name that lit up the screen, he couldn’t help but to assume the worst. He refused to think of any other reason as to why she would be calling him so late- why she would  _ want  _ to.

“Detective? Is something wrong?” He couldn’t help the rush of words that escaped him as he pulled himself out of his chair, almost knocking over the half empty glass of wine he had been indulging in. Worry was bubbling in him before he could stop it.

A giggle sounded on the other end and he frowned, eyebrows furrowing. The sound was odd, high pitched, different from any other laugh he had ever heard from the woman.  _ “Why’s something have to be wrong, Agent? Maybe I just wanna talk to you.” _

Adam’s frown deepened and he tried to ignore the flutter of emotions her words stirred. Instead, he chose to focus on the strangeness of her behavior, the buzzing of noise behind her, the slight slur to her words as she spoke. It wasn't difficult to piece it all together, his brow furrowing as he did. “You're inebriated.”

Another giggle, this one ending in a snort.  _ “Nothing gets past you, does it, Agent Du Mortain?”  _ She was obviously teasing him, but her voice was low and had a weight behind it that almost made him shiver.

A disapproving frown settled on his lips before it was overtaken by more confusion. In all the time he had known her, he had seen Rachel do little more than take a sip of wine on the rare occasions the unit drank together. It certainly wasn't like her to be out at bars late at night when she had to work early the next morning.

His lips pursed in frustration; Adam hated feeling like he was missing something, especially something obvious. The detective had certainly been through a lot the past few months; everything that had happened with Murphy, Sanja's death-

Sanja's death.

Adam’s mind briefly flashed back to the aftermath of that mission, their moment together; how defeated Rachel had seemed, shoulders slumped, body caving in like she couldn’t even support her own weight. She had cried into his shoulder- the first time he had ever seen her break down- her body shaking with sobs that she couldn’t contain. He felt his own guilt crash against him once more- if he had been strong enough, he could have spared her from ever having to make that decision in the first place. If he had been better, maybe Sanja would still be alive.

He had learned long ago that the weight of his guilt would crush him if he let it. He prayed it wouldn't be a lesson Rachel would learn the hard way.

After that night, Rachel had never given any sign that she was anything but fine. She had been quieter than usual, maybe, but she never missed a meeting and completed all her work with the same quality as normal. He wondered now, though, if she was better at hiding her emotions than he gave her credit for.

“Where are you?” He demanded then, pulling himself out of his thoughts and instead focusing on the immediate problem at hand. He began to pace the length of the living room, glad he was alone- that Farah wasn’t there to point out the tension tightening his body and the concern growing in his voice with every word he spoke.

There was a pause and a loud burst of laughter from the background that made him wince.  _ “Laycott’s,”  _ she answered finally, as if she had had to think hard for the answer.  _ “In town.” _

At least she was close by. His shoulders slumped with relief. “Are you alone?” He continued, making the conversation sound more and more like an interrogation with every question he asked.

_ “Hmm? Oh, yeah. I guess I am.”  _ She was distracted again, by something he couldn’t see. Anger and disapproval washed over Adam once more; that she had allowed herself to get into such a vulnerable state in public with no backup, that she had no thought for her own safety. He’d rather focus on those emotions than the worry and unease clawing at his chest.

Why hadn't he noticed? Again, guilt sprung up like an ache along his ribcage. If Rachel had been upset, had been hurting, he should have noticed. And then, with a start, he realized that he shouldn't be noticing anything about her at all- that he didn't have the right to.

_ “Why?”  _ Rachel continued when he still hadn't responded. He broke out of his thoughts with a jerk of his head and tried not to dwell on them.  _ “You gonna come check on me, Agent?”  _ The eagerness in her voice- as well as the flirtation- made Adam’s chest feel light, but he chose not to dwell on that either.

“I will be there shortly,” he answered immediately, the frown still tugged on his mouth, voice terse so as not to give away any of the warring emotions inside of him. “Do not move.”

He hung up before she could respond, running a hand over his hair as he considered the events of the past minute. He hesitated as he glanced towards the door, suddenly uncertain as to whether or not meeting her was a good idea. He knew it wasn’t; any time spent with Rachel was dangerous. For both of them.

But she needed him. And... he needed to know that she was safe. 

Resolved, Adam shrugged his coat on before storming out the door.

Ten minutes later, Adam was pushing his way through the throng of bodies into the bar. Despite the time and the fact it was a weeknight, the place was still fairly busy, the cramped space packed. 

He was unsure what was more irritating; his boots sticking to the floor with every step, the buzz of noise that only seemed to get louder as more eyes locked onto him, or the oppressive heat that rolled off of the bodies he pushed past in his eagerness to get to the detective and get  _ out.  _ He felt attention on him almost immediately, but ignored everyone else in favor of searching the crowd for one face in particular.

She was perched at the bar, a few empty glasses gathered by one elbow as she used the other to prop her chin up. There was an unfamiliar man standing at her side, chattering away, not noticing that her attention was elsewhere. 

She looked  _ exhausted,  _ eyes fluttering closed even with the deafening volume of those around her. He felt his heart pang uncomfortably in his chest as he studied her- had she not been sleeping well lately? Another problem he had failed to notice?

At that moment, Rachel opened her eyes and met his from across the bar.

Her whole face lit up when she saw him, and he was uncertain what was warmer- those big blue eyes blinking at him in surprise or the wide smile curving her lips. A shaky breath escaped him, excitement and apprehension washing over him at being the target of that smile, of her warmth, making him feel unsteady for one of the rare times in his life. 

Despite the exhaustion and… something else that seemed to make her fray at the edges, there was an openness to her that he had never seen before, like all her walls had been momentarily knocked down and he was finally just seeing  _ her.  _

He shook the thought away, trying to clear his head as he repeated the parameters of the mission to himself. He couldn’t let himself get distracted.

As Adam pushed past the crowd of people that remained between them, he saw Rachel push herself off of her stool and take a step towards him, hand raised as if he hadn’t already noticed her.

“Adam! Over here-  _ Oh-!”  _ Her foot got caught on her stool and she stumbled before tipping forwards, heading for the ground fast.

The man next to her grabbed her elbow to steady her, but Adam was already across the room, catching her by the shoulders before she could fall. There was a small gasp at his sudden blur of movements, but those not drunk enough to notice were quick to write it off in their heads.

Adam was too concerned with Rachel to notice the reactions of those around them. She had a hand pressed against his chest to steady herself, the sound of her racing heart the only thing he was able to focus on. It was just the alcohol, he told himself, along with adrenaline. It had to be.

“Are you alright?” He murmured down to her, the warmth of her skin radiating through her shirt and into his palms. With a jolt, he realized that he was still holding onto her shoulders and quickly let go, though her hand still remained resting on his chest.

Rachel’s cheeks were a light pink, a warm flush that spread down her neck to her chest. He quickly glanced back up to her eyes, noticing that a lock of her hair had fallen into her face. He resisted the urge to tuck it back behind her ear, watching longfully instead as her free hand came up to push it away. 

“You came,” she said instead of answering his question, her smile somehow growing wider. He was sure she hadn’t smiled that much the entire time he had known her. And while surprising, the sight was something he wanted to burn into his memory.

“Of course.” His eyes ran over her once more, making sure she was alright if she refused to tell him. “I said I would.”

Rachel beamed up at him and Adam felt his heart threaten to melt under the strength of it. “And you did,” she continued, fingers spreading further against his chest. She spoke like it was something so noteworthy, something he should be praised for. Adam tried to ignore the flurry her words stirred up inside of him.

He could feel the warmth of her fingers sinking in through the fabric of his shirt. Adam was sure that she could feel his heart pounding against his rib cage and he should do  _ something,  _ not just  _ stand there.  _ He had a purpose there after all. If only he could remember what it was.

But Rachel was smiling up at him and everything else faded away. The noise, the heat, the eyes that were watching them. Her fingers curled into his shirt lightly, as if she needed something to anchor herself to. Adam took another step towards her before he could stop himself and he was reaching out towards her-

“ _ Heyyy.  _ You okay there, Beautiful?”

Adam stumbled away from her like he was the intoxicated one, the moment between them gone in an instant. Everything came rushing back at once- the noise, the heat, more overwhelming than it had been before. He was almost grateful for it; it distracted him from the sudden loss of Rachel pressed up against him. 

He glanced up to see that it was the man who had been talking to Rachel earlier that had spoken. Adam’s eyes narrowed in on the hand he still had on Rachel’s elbow and a growl erupted from his throat before he could stop it.

The stranger- who reeked of beer and stale cigarettes and was twice as drunk as Rachel was- took a startled step back at the noise, his hand slipping from her arm. She barely seemed to notice that he had spoken, her eyes never straying from Adam.

“Are you staying?” She asked Adam, completely ignoring the stranger as she crossed her arms over her chest. The hope lighting up her face forced him to swallow hard and look away.

“I’m here to see you home,” he answered, crossing his arms behind his back, unable to meet her eyes. “We have an early meeting with Agent Marsden, if you remember.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, the light dimming, and Adam felt a sharp pang in his chest, feeling like he had caused it, even if he wasn’t exactly sure how. “Right, yeah. You’re right.” A yawn escaped her as she pushed her hair out of her eyes again. “I’m tired anyways.”

He nodded, relieved that it hadn’t taken much to convince her. Rachel turned back to the bar, tossing some bills on the counter to settle her tab. Just as she was starting to walk away, however, the drunk stranger from before caught her by the arm again.

“Aw, c’mon Baby! Ditch the boyfriend and  _ stay _ .” He leered at her, his hungry eyes on Rachel sparking something dark within Adam. "I promise we'll have a real good time."

Rachel frowned, looking confused by his words. She tried to pull her arm away but the man only tightened his grip. “Let go please.” She tugged again to no avail. “Let go!”

Within half a second, Adam was stepping between them and wrapping his hand around the man’s wrist, hard enough to elicit a squeal. “Let. Go. Now.”

The man turned to face Adam, a scowl on his face and mouth twisting open to spit expletives at him, only to freeze once their eyes met. Adam’s jaw was clenched tightly, features set into a hard glare that had sent stronger men scattering. His icy green eyes held a promise of just what exactly would happen if Rachel was not released that instant.

The man swallowed hard, glancing between a wide eyed Rachel and a furious Adam. After another moment passed in which Adam’s grip on the man’s wrist tightened ever so slightly. With a squeak, he finally released Rachel’s wrist and took a step back. Adam immediately relaxed his grip and stepped further in front of Rachel, blocking her almost entirely from the man’s view.

With a final glare to the drunk stranger, Adam turned to face Rachel, who still stared up at him, frozen in shock. “We should go,” he said, voice low, in an attempt to get her moving. She blinked once more before another smile, as bright as the sun, lit up her face. He felt his breath stutter under the intensity of it and looked away so he wouldn’t have to meet her eyes.

Thankfully. Rachel started moving a few seconds later and they made their exit with no further issue. Adam did his best to ignore the eyes of what had to be every single patron in the bat on them and ushered the detective outside.

It was a rather cold night and Rachel started shivering almost as soon as they reached the sidewalk. She wrapped her arms around herself and only then did he notice she was wearing only a short sleeved t-shirt, the pale blue of the fabric almost the same shade as her eyes. Her jacket was nowhere in sight.

He frowned down at her. “Where is your coat?” He glanced back at the bar, annoyed at the prospect of having to go back inside to retrieve it.

“Oh.” Rachel glanced down at herself as if just now occurred to her that she was missing something. "Back at the station, I think. Oh- I might've forgotten it."

Adam rolled his eyes at the obvious statement, but resisted the urge to snark back. "And your car?" He wasn't thrilled at the prospect of driving that death contraption she called a vehicle but it was the only option. He glanced around the street, but the beat up hatchback was nowhere in sight.

"Station too." Rachel frowned in thought. "We walked."

"'We?'"

"Yeah, me and Tina," she explained, her hands rubbing up and down her arms in an attempt to provide warmth. "She took a taxi home a little bit ago."

Adam sighed and glanced in the direction of the police station. It wasn't a terribly far walk- nowhere in this town was- but her apartment building was closer. He glanced back at Rachel- even shivering she looked about ready to fall asleep, her eyes drooping half shut and her body slouching forwards. He needed to get her home.

With another sigh, decision having been made, Adam shrugged his coat off before gently but firmly wrapping it around the detective, careful to keep as much distance between them as he could. He couldn't have her freezing to death, after all. It was his job; to keep her safe, to see to her wellbeing.

It was his job. That was all.

Rachel frowned up at him in confusion even as she tugged the coat tighter around her. Her shivers soon came to a stop, the chatter of her teeth slowing before coming to an end as well. "What's this for?"

He rolled his eyes again, though he wasn't quite able to smother a small smile at her perplexed expression. The way her nose wrinkled in confusion, the corners of her eyes crinkling, was-

No. He stopped that train of thought before it ran him off the tracks. "You'll catch a cold," he answered, voice softer than he intended. "It's at least a fifteen minute walk to your home."

"But what about you?" Her frown only deepened, though she seemed to sink into the fabric of his coat. His mind flashed back to their first patrol together, all those months ago. Seeing her wrapped up in his clothes again… he cleared his throat and looked away. "You'll be freezing too in a minute."

Adam could already feel the cold air like ice over his skin. He fought a tremble in his hands, clenching them tightly to his sides. "I am fine," he said sternly, forcing himself to release the sleeves of the coat and take a step away. He began to walk down the street towards her apartment. "Let's just get this over with."

He almost winced at his choice of words, not meaning them to sound as harsh as they had. A glance back at Rachel confirmed that she was following him, her face giving no indication that she was offended. Instead, there was a small smile on her lips that only grew when she caught him looking at her. He quickly looked away, though he slowed his pace, allowing her to catch up.

They walked in silence for the next few minutes, though it was not an uncomfortable one. Every now and then, Adam would glance down at Rachel only to find that she was already looking at him. He always looked away immediately, though he could feel her gaze linger.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, arms wrapped around herself to keep the warmth in. She had pulled the coat all the way on some time ago and the garment was far too large for her- the sleeves went far past the tips of her fingers and the hem reached her knees. But she looked warm and comfortable, something he was glad for.

"For what?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

“For the coat. And defending me at the bar. And answering when I called. For- for coming to get me.” Her eyes widened as she spoke, as if more was slipping out than she intended. But a smile was overtaking her lips, a genuineness to her expression that made it clear that she meant every word. “For everything.”

Adam swallowed hard, unable- or unwilling- to meet her gaze. He felt the weight of her gratitude press down on his shoulders, a fluttering feeling in his stomach making it impossible to focus on anything else except the words she just spoke. He pressed his lips together in a tight line, a flurry of emotions briefly consuming him. “You’re welcome,” he answered finally.

Rachel just smiled wider, hugging his coat tighter around her small frame.

Their walk continued in peaceful silence. Despite the cold that was slowly seeping into Adam’s bones, it was a rather nice night. The stars were out, a light breeze in the air. He made sure to stay on alert, eyes seeking out any possible threat lurking in the shadows. But he couldn’t deny that the quiet little town was growing on him.

Something that definitely had nothing to do with the small woman beside him.

He glanced down to see that Rachel was enjoying the scenery as well, taking a deep breath of the fresh air, the relaxed expression on her face warming his chest. A frown twitched his lips as his earlier thoughts came back to haunt him. 

Something was clearly bothering her; her behavior tonight was out of character for the dedicated, hardworking detective he knew her to be. Should he ask her? Did she even want to talk about it? Would it be out of line? He swallowed hard, his eyes studying the lines of her face.

“Why did you not go home with Officer Poname?” He asked the question carefully. It felt like a safe enough place to start.

Rachel blinked in surprise, taking a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. “I dunno…” She answered finally, eyes looking off into the distance before shrugging. “I didn’t- I guess I wasn’t ready to go home.” She didn’t elaborate on her vague answer, and Adam felt his frown grow deeper.

“Rach- Detective,” he corrected himself quickly. “You… you should be careful. I have seen guilt ruin many good agents.”  _ And you are better than all of them.  _ “I hate to see it happen to you.” He wouldn’t allow it.

“I’m not-” Her nose wrinkled in frustration before she cut herself off with a sigh. “I’ll be okay, Adam,” she said instead, smiling again though this one didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Besides, I have you looking out for me.” This time the smile did reach, brightening up her face more than any star in the sky above them.

The faith she had in him… if only he was worthy of it. Oh, how he wanted to be. “As I always will,” he replied quietly.

The look she gave him in reply, all softness and warmth and understanding, would be something he would never be able to forget.

When they were about halfway to her apartment, Rachel’s steps started to slow. He noticed that she was lagging behind, and he slowed down as well in an attempt to keep pace with her. When he glanced back at her a moment later, however, he saw that she had given up on walking altogether. Instead, she was stretched out on a nearby bench, eyes closed as her exhaustion finally won out.

“What are you doing?’ He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Taking a break,” she mumbled, using her arms as a pillow, his coat draped over her like a blanket. “Too tired.”

Adam sighed, feeling vaguely annoyed at the delay. He really needed to get her home and into bed. Without overthinking it, he stepped forward and slipped one hand under her knees, the other supporting her head. With ease, he lifted her into his arms and cradled her against his chest.

Her hair brushed against his bare arm, the scent of her lavender shampoo instantly engulfing his senses. Rachel’s only response was to snuggle further into his arms, her breath warm against his neck as she drifted out of consciousness.

Adam held her close, allowing himself one moment to enjoy the feel of her in his arms. Then he set a brisk pace down the street, trying not to pay too much attention to the warmth of her body against his. He could have made it to her apartment in minutes, now that he didn’t have to slow down for Rachel. Instead, though, he let himself take his time, moving at a reasonable pace down the empty streets.

Rachel was deep asleep by the time they finally made it to her building. Getting her keys from her required some maneuvering, though she did not stir once. Adam was careful not to jostle her on their way up the stairs, holding her like she was fragile, like she was made of glass. 

He cradled her with one arm and opened the door to her apartment with the other. He was briefly grateful for being able to see in the dark, not wanting to disturb her by turning on the lights. Adam carried her all the way to her bedroom, before finally setting her down on her bed.

His hands lingered on her like he didn’t want to let go. He forced himself to, swallowing hard at the peaceful expression on her face. He couldn’t help the guilt that washed over him once more- whatever peace Rachel had had before had been taken away the moment the unit had burst into her office all those months ago. She deserved peace, deserved a life that was safe and happy and wouldn’t eat away at her.

Adam pushed all thoughts of guilt away and set to his task. He carefully maneuvered her out of his coat, folding the garment over a nearby chair. It smelled like her. Just like the last time she had worn it. Shaking his head, he pulled off her boots and set them down on the ground. Then he gently picked her up once more, pulling the covers back and settling her into bed.

Her eyes were still closed, her chest rising and falling slowly as he meticulously pulled the blankets around her, tucking them around her form. He eyed his handiwork before nodding to himself, deciding that she would be warm enough. His gaze slowly softened, and Adam allowed himself one final moment of weakness as he studied her face. 

She was so beautiful.

He tore his gaze away, jerking back from her like his thought had electrocuted him. Before he could leave however, a hand caught his wrist.

Adam stumbled to a stop in shock, his head snapping back to see Rachel looking at him through half closed eyes. His face softened as their gazes met, and he raised a hand to brush his knuckles across her cheek, his gentle touch barely grazing her skin.

“Good night, Rachel. Sleep well,” he murmured. She didn’t reply, eyes fluttering shut once more and her hand falling from his wrist.

He slowly pulled his hand away from her face, skin still tingling from where it had touched hers. He let his gaze linger on her one last time before he forced himself away.

He hoped that her dreams were peaceful, free of nightmares. She deserved no less.

Rachel woke up feeling like her head was about to crack open.

She knocked her alarm clock to the floor, the beeping finally ending when it landed with a crash and went silent. Groaning, she rolled over and buried her face into a nearby pillow to keep the sun out of her eyes.

What did she do last night? God, what did she  _ drink  _ last night?

Her memories returned to her in a blurry haze and she felt her already ill stomach churn with each piece she recalled. The day before, Tina had all but insisted that they have drinks together after work. 

Rachel had almost always turned her down in the past, but had decided that a night out with a friend would be better than going home and drowning herself in paperwork like she usually did. She had needed it, truly. The past few months had been difficult, to say the least. She’d have one drink, make sure Tina made it home okay, and go home.

But one drink quickly turned into two, two turned into four, and the next thing she knew Tina was the one calling it a night and Rachel was the one stubbornly insisting to stay a little bit longer. After making her promise seventeen times to text her when she got home, Tina left her sitting at the bar alone.

But she had gotten lonely quickly. She hadn’t wanted to go home, but she definitely didn’t want to be alone either. She had spent most of her life alone. She hated it. So she’d- what had she done? She called someone. She called-

Fuck. She called Adam.

Another loud groan escaped her and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Why? Why had she sabotaged herself like that? She couldn’t think of anyone else in the world she’d want less to see her so weak. Embarrassment flooded her and she vowed to never leave her bed ever again.

That was when she remembered that she had a meeting with her mother and Unit Bravo in 45 minutes.

With a heavy sigh, Rachel forced herself to roll out of bed. She stumbled past the remnants of her broken alarm clock, seeking first ibuprofen for her aching head and then the largest mug of coffee she had in her apartment. After accomplishing her tasks, she leaned against her kitchen table while her coffee brewed and tried to think about everything that she had said and done while around Adam.

Why had she called him? Why-

Rachel flinched when she remembered, a sadness settling over her.

Because she had wanted to hear his voice.

She sighed, finished making her coffee, and made her way back into her bedroom. She tried to recall what happened after she called him, but those parts were fuzzier. Her eyes landed on a black coat neatly folded over on the chair next to her bed and it all came back to her.

Adam walked her home last night.

Her heart seized in her chest and she clutched her mug so tightly in her hands the ceramic started to burn her fingers.

Rachel sat down at the foot of her bed, unable to stand under the weight of that revelation. He came all the way down to the bar just to make sure she made it home alright. A warmth engulfed her chest, her heart melting as she stared harder at his jacket. And he had lent it to her because she had left hers back at the station, along with her car.

She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to smile or cry.

Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away and walked over to the window to gather her thoughts. She wasn’t sure how she’d ever face Adam again. Because of how horrendously embarrassing she must have been last night. And because- because-

She sighed and let her head lean against the window. It didn’t matter. Nothing would ever happen between them. She had to make her peace with that.

Fifteen minutes later, after the fastest shower in the history of mankind, Rachel dragged herself out of the front doors of her building. She was already running late for the meeting and she’d have to walk all the way to the station to retrieve her car. To make matters worse she couldn’t find her keys. She could only pray that they were in her jacket.

Rachel walked past the parking lot when something there caught her eye and she paused.

There- in her usual spot. Her car.

She gaped at it, slowly approaching it in confusion. How-?

The answer came to her immediately. Adam. Of course.

Her heart threatening to burst from her chest, she opened the driver’s side door to see her jacket folded neatly on the seat. Her keys were tucked surreptitiously underneath it. Rachel was anchored to her spot, a wave of emotions threatening to knock her over.

That man would be the death of her.

Adam managed to avoid the detective for the entire meeting.

She had shown up with dripping hair and looking almost as tired as she had last night. She was also avoiding him as much as he was her. He wondered just how much of last night she remembered. For both their sakes, it wasn’t much.

But the only thing he truly regretted about the night before was that he had forgotten his coat at Rachel’s apartment. Getting it back would be awkward indeed. He could most likely have Nate help him accomplish this, though the man would definitely ask questions Adam didn’t want to answer.

Maybe he’d buy a new one.

An hour or so after the meeting, Adam was walking past the kitchen, a report in his hands. He had had to discuss something with Agent Marsden directly after, thankfully, and Rachel had left without them so much as sharing a greeting.

It was for the best. He needed some distance. Even if he didn’t want it.

Just as he was about to turn a corner, something in the kitchen caught his eye and he hesitated just outside the doorway. He glanced inside the empty room and that was when he saw it.

Hanging off of the back of a chair- his coat.

Every cell in his body froze.

It was almost a full minute before Adam dared to move towards it, another 30 seconds before he dared to pick it up. It still smelled like her. Like lavender and vanilla and sunlight. The heavy garment swung when he picked it up and he heard a light rustling in one of the pockets.

It took more courage than he would ever admit to find out what was inside.

Adam pulled out a small piece of paper. Written in handwriting he was starting to become familiar with were the words  _ Thank you. For everything. _

Despite himself, Adam smiled.


End file.
